Dutch rider Lotte van Drunen powered her way to a dominant double-race victory at the second round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship in Riola Sardo, Sardinia, at the weekend.
As a result, the 16-year-old Yamaha rider has taken the WMX championship leader’s red-plate.
And, while van Drunen was celebrating, Kiwi four-time and defending world champion Courtney Duncan (pictured) had another weekend to forget.
Two fifth placings in Sardinia – coupled with the 3-19 score-card she achieved at round one in Spain last month – sees the Kawasaki rider from Otago down in an unaccustomed seventh place overall in the championship standings after two rounds.
However, that is an improvement for Duncan, moving up two positions from ninth overall after round one, but still not where the New Zealander wants to be and she’ll be determined to move up again at the next round, back in Spain on May 12.
So it was van Drunen, also known as the ‘Sand Queen’, who came out victorious in Italy with two race wins and a perfect performance to leave the Sardegna venue with the leader’s red number board.
It was a good start in race one for number one F&H Racing Team’s Duncan but it was home rider Kiara Fontanesi on the inside taking the lead in the first corner with Schmicker Racing’s Lynn Valk and Daniela Guillen, from the RFME GASGAS MX Junior Team, following closely.
A multi-rider crash saw van Drunen losing many places after avoiding it, while Valk quickly took the lead off Fontanesi in the opening lap.
The red-plated Guillen didn’t take long to force her way past Duncan and get to third place with the young van Drunen already up to an impressive fifth place on lap two despite coming from the back of the pack.
The top two in the championship only looked forward. On lap five, Guillen bounced off Fontanesi at the end of several attempts previously brilliantly dealt with by the Italian.
Guillen was now second behind Valk who was showing great composure. Van Drunen in the meantime passed Duncan and Fontanesi as well who could not do anything about the Dutch rider to get to third position.
Time was counted for Valk at the lead as Guillen reduced the gap meticulously to get ready to pounce on lap six. Guillen made her way to the lead and rushed forward while a Van Drunen on a mission also brushed past her compatriot Valk to go second.
Then a dramatic last lap unfolded as Guillen who saw a four-second lead vanished in the last lap after running in a back-marker which allowed Van Drunen a last-gasp chance to put pressure on the red plate.
This is exactly what happened with only two corners to go when van Drunen took the outside of the Spaniard and grasped the lead to go on to win race one in Sardegna; her fifth race win of her career.
Valk rounded up the top three after a solid showing with Fontanesi marking good points in fourth, in front of the defending champion Duncan in fifth place.
In race two, Fontanesi took the best start in front of Duncan, van Drunen, Guillen and Valk with most of all the biggest challengers right where they needed to be. Guillen on a charge managed to overtake everyone on the opening lap to lead the way with Van Drunen on her tail! Duncan third and Fontanesi fourth in the mix while Valk rounded out the top five.
Great move from Valk as she passed the Duncan to go fourth on the second lap. Valk didn’t stop there as she kept going to push behind Fontanesi and took the inside to get third.
While at the top, van Drunen managed to take back the lead on lap three. She made the same move as in race one to pass Guillen and got the best momentum showing all her qualities that we know on sand.
Van Drunen quickly pulled away from Guillen getting a five-second lead while Guillen also had a 10-second gap with Valk in third.
Duncan was very much on a charge to get to Fontanesi as she reduced the gap mid-way through although the Italian managed to keep her cool and stay in fourth.
The battle kept going as the two world champions battled it out and went toe to toe but Fontanesi held her ground in her home race to finish fourth while Duncan ended in fifth, just as she had in race one.
At the top, van Drunen was simply the best increasing her lad until the end to win comfortably her second race of the day and her second overall win of her career.
The ‘Sand Queen’ showed her ability once more on this tough surface to get the Red Plate and the lead in the Championship in front of Guillen.
Valk rounded up the podium with an excellent performance over the weekend with a 3-3.
The WMX season continues with round three on May 12, running alongside the MXGP of Galicia in Lugo, Spain.
© Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
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RESULTS & STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 2:
WMX – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, Yamaha), 24:52.172; 2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GASGAS), +0:01.446; 3. Lynn Valk (NED, KTM), +0:14.124; 4. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GASGAS), +0:31.135; 5. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), +0:46.666; 6. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +0:57.508; 7. Shana van der Vlist (NED, Yamaha), +1:09.729; 8. Martine Hughes (NOR, Kawasaki), +1:19.648; 9. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Honda), +1:21.075; 10. Tyra Bäckström (SWE, GASGAS), -1 lap(s)
WMX – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, Yamaha), 24:32.380; 2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GASGAS), +0:18.244; 3. Lynn Valk (NED, KTM), +0:28.001; 4. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GASGAS), +0:46.936; 5. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), +0:59.178; 6. Shana van der Vlist (NED, Yamaha), +1:02.774; 7. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +1:04.013; 8. Martine Hughes (NOR, Kawasaki), +1:26.206; 9. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), +1:27.368; 10. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Honda), +1:28.279
WMX Overall – Top 10 Classification:
1. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, YAM), 50 points; 2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GAS), 44 p.; 3. Lynn Valk (NED, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GAS), 36 p.; 5. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 32 p.; 6. Shana van der Vlist (NED, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 29 p.; 8. Martine Hughes (NOR, KAW), 26 p.; 9. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, HON), 23 p.; 10. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), 20 p
WMX World Championship – Top 10 Classification:
1. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, YAM), 94 points; 2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GAS), 94 p.; 3. Lynn Valk (NED, KTM), 76 p.; 4. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GAS), 68 p.; 5. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 63 p.; 6. Martine Hughes (NOR, KAW), 55 p.; 7. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 54 p.; 8. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, HON), 51 p.; 9. Shana van der Vlist (NED, YAM), 49 p.; 10. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), 45 p